Flawed Perfection
by deanangst
Summary: Even transgenics get hurt sometimes.
1. Chapter 1

Dark Angel: Flawed Perfection  
By: Deanangst  
Fandom: Dark Angel  
Characters: Alec, Logan, Cindy, Max, Joshua  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Logan realizes Alec is not indestructible.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my love of the characters.  
No Beta because I'm just too eager to post. 

It was nearly noon and Jam Pony was alive with activity. Cindy stood by the sliding metal door and kept watch for her two missing co-workers. They should have been back twenty minutes ago. She wasn't worried though, the heavy rain always screwed with travel time, not only did they have to deal with road conditions but the rain also meant delays at sector checkpoints. Alec had convinced Normal to allow the use of personal motorcycles so he and Max now pulled most of the long distance runs, which meant even more checkpoints and more delays. Cindy was turning to head inside out of the rain when she heard the unmistakable sound of two highly tuned engines. One minute everything was fine, she could see the two riders approaching. The next minute it was as if time slowed down, like watching a slow motion replay on the evening news. A delivery truck rounded the corner too quickly and the rain slick street prevented the driver from maintaining control. When the truck came to a stop it was positioned crossways on the road blocking both lanes of traffic.

Alec poured on enough power to escape Max and her nagging. What was the fun of having enhanced reflexes if you never got a change to use them. Okay so maybe never was a strong word, but this was different, this was fun. The motorcycles had been a necessary addition to Jam Pony. The added speed helped with delivery efficiency but it also allowed the two transgenics to assist their kind when needed. Alec considered the endorphin high he got when going fast an unexpected bonus. Max was just being a kill joy as usual telling him to slow down, be careful but there was only so much he could take. He glanced back over his shoulder to give Max a smirk when he saw her expression change from annoyance to fear. Facing forward again Alec saw the truck blocking the street. There was no time to stop, instead he laid the bike on its left side and tried to not to tense up as his body made contact with the twisting metal of his handlebars and rough asphalt road. The bikes forward momentum dragging him under the truck and through to the other side.

Alec came to with a start, the metallic scent of blood in the air and what felt like fire burning his left side. As he fought to move away from the pain he could feel hands trying to hold him still. He wanted to scream but refused to give in to the pain.

"Don't move idiot, you're bleeding." Max ground out moving the tattered remains of his leather jacket aside and pushing up the torn tee-shirt. She could see the white of bone where a broken rib had ripped its way thru muscle and skin.

"Ah Maxie, I didn't know you cared." Alec wheezed out as he tried to push himself up into a sitting position only to have Max hold him down.

"I said don't move Alec. This is serious, you need to stay still."

Original Cindy came into view, kneeling above his head. "Normal is on the phone with emergency services right now, County General has an ambulance in route. "Here, I grabbed these from the first aid kit." Passing a handful of gauze pads to Max Original Cindy turned her attention to Alec. "Hey Boo, you just relax, help is on the way okay." She said as she placed a pad against the gash on Alec's forehead. OC wasn't sure who she was trying to reassure more, Alec or herself.

"No Hospital Max." Alec began to protest.

"Alec we don't have a choice, you need treatment. I'll call Logan, don't worry everything will be okay." The gauze OC provided had already soaked thru with blood.

Logan tossed in a fabric softener sheet before shutting the dryer door and starting the machine. 'Ah what would the public think if they knew the great eyes only had to do laundry and scrub the toilets like everyone else'. Shaking the thought from his head Logan walking back into the kitchen smiling at the two fifty dollar bills hanging on the fridge. His mom had told him once to never feed the stray animals that wondered up to the house because if he did they would keep showing up at meal time. Well obviously Logan hadn't taken her advice to heart but at least the stray he was feeding contributed to the grocery fund.

Looking over the list he started the night before Logan smiled. Alec was not picky he would eat anything you gave him without complaint but it seemed Alec had made a few alterations to the list. Liver, Spinach, and Brussels sprouts had been carefully erased and replaced with Mac and Cheese, peanut butter, and noodle soup with snack cakes tacked on at the end of the list. The scary thing was Alec had managed a perfect match to Logan's handwriting. Logan guessed he should not be surprised, there really was no end to Alec's 'talents'.

The ringing of the phone pulled him from his musings, taking his cell from his pocket Logan checked the caller ID. "Hey Max, what's up?" Their breakup had been amicable which allowed them to continue to work together, so it was normal for Max to check in every few days.

"Logan…there has been an accident. I need you to call Dr. Carr and get him to County General."

"What? Max are you okay? What's going on?"

"Look I can't really talk, they are getting ready to load him into the ambulance, just call Dr. Carr."

"Him? Max where is Alec? Max… MAX!" Logan yelled but was greeted with a dead air. He was Dialing Sam's number while he rushed thru the apartment trying to locate his Jacket and car keys. It took four tries before he got an answer, by that time he was already in the elevator heading down to the underground parking garage.

"Logan, Sorry it took me so long to answer, I was just going through a checkpoint. " Sam stated.

"Sam, I need your help. There's been an accident can you get to County General?"

"Yeah, I just finished up a house call. I can be there in about 10 minutes. Is it Max?"

"No, I think it is Alec. Max called said there was an accident. I don't know anything more right now."

"It's okay, I'll call ahead. I did my residency there, they will talk to me."

"Thanks man, I owe you one."

"More like ten. I'll see you in a few minutes."

***

When Logan arrived he found Max in the ER waiting room, she stood when he entered. "Logan!" Max rushed forward as if to hug him, but caught herself at the last moment. Logan wasn't sure what she remembered first the virus or the fact that they weren't a couple anymore. It spoke volumes about her fear that she would forget either.

"What happened! Did White find you!" It came out more a demand than a question. Logan had been running worse case scenarios through his head ever since he received Max's call. It didn't help seeing the dried blood on Max's hands and the front of her grey jacket.

"It was just a stupid accident. We were coming back from a run, one minute the road was clear, the next this truck...it was blocking the street. Alec just didn't have time to stop. He laid the bike over to keep from slamming into the side." Max filled him in quickly.

"What aren't telling me?" Logan gestured to her jacket.

"The accident, it messed him up. He couldn't break free of the bike, got tangled up on the handle bars. I know of a compound fracture of at least one rib on his left side with possible internal injuries. "

"Have you seen Sam?"

"He stopped long enough to tell me not to fill out any paperwork. He'll be back as soon as he knows anything."

***

Several hours passed before Sam made his promised appearance. It didn't help to settle their nerves when he came through the emergency room doors in blood stained scrubs and a serious expression on his face. "He's stable." Sam began, knowing their concern. Motioning them toward the corner of the waiting room they each took a seat. "He's got two cracked ribs one rib is a compound fracture. We realigned the bone and did our best to stabilize it. The lower left lung was punctured but it didn't collapse. Right now our biggest concern is the trauma that his spleen and kidney suffered. There were signs of bleeding with each but the transgenic clotting factors are significantly faster than that of humans. "

"What does all this mean?" Max asked.

"Like I said earlier he is stable, but there is a chance that the patch job his body is trying to perform won't hold. If he was human I'd say several days in ICU for observation but the standard tests needed to monitor him would throw up all kinds of red flags. "

"What do you suggest we do?" Logan asked, already suspecting Sam had a plan.

"Right now the staff thinks Alec is Senator Murphy's son."

"What! Won't that draw the attention of the media. I thought the idea was to maintain a low profile."  
Max hissed.

"Senator Murphy's son is being transported to a drug rehab facility out of state. I was actually meeting with Sanford when you called. It's almost election time and he's asked me to help him come up with a cover story to keep the media from having a field day. Murphy's Anti-Drug policies are the cornerstone of his campaign. Alec bares enough of a resemblance to the kid that I called Murphy after I spoke with you, he has agreed to my plan and will assume all medical expenses. We'll pretend to move Alec to the Senators home. I've already requisitioned for the transportation paperwork, and the pharmacy is putting together the necessary medical supplies for home treatment. We just need to come up with a safe location to move Alec. It needs to be somewhere I can make house calls without drawing attention. There is a chance of infection since we had to open him up so preferably someplace clean with access to fresh water and electricity."

"We're immune to infections, so that shouldn't be a problem." Max supplied.

"Well the spleen plays a big part in the immune system helping the body fight off bacterial infections. The fact that Alec's temp is starting to climb makes me think it plays an even larger part in a Transgenic."

"We can get him to my place, it's secure and clean. You're in the area enough that it won't flag anything on the sector grids if somehow White gets wind of this." Logan offered, knowing that he wouldn't be satisfied if he couldn't keep an eye on Alec himself.

"We are talking at least 5 days before I'd even consider another move. Are you sure you want to have your life disrupted for that long." Sam asked, the last time he'd had any contact with Max and Logan they were working to find a cure for the virus, neither had seemed fond of Alec at the time, but it was clear that something had changed.

"Five days? Even with the increased transgenic healing rate?" Max asked.

"I'd rather err on the side of caution so without the aid of testing equipment I'm going to follow the  
Guide lines of a human. So 3 to five days bed rest, six weeks of light activity. At least 6 months without extreme physical activity, which I know will be hard given the nature of your existences. The time could be shortened if we can get him in for testing once his ribs and lung have healed, but this is my outside figure. "

"Are you sure you want to do this Logan. I can get in touch with the guys. They can get a room ready at TC."

"And how long do you think Alec could stay out of trouble there Max? They would have him up at headquarters planning their next supply heist tomorrow. Within a week he'd be going on the runs himself. At least at my place I can keep an eye on him and you, OC, and Josh can help me. "

"Look while you two discuss this I'm gonna go check on the patient. Murphy has a private ambulance on the way. I'll let you know when it gets here. Logan do you think you can arrange to have it dropped at Whitehaven afterwards?"

"Yeah that shouldn't be a problem."

"We are going to need some help getting him settled."

"I can get OC to bring Joshua to the apartment. Afterwards Cindy and I will drop the ambulance off." Max offered, knowing that there was no point in arguing any further about where they would be taking Alec. She'd known all along that Logan would want Alec close but she felt she had to offer an alternative.

***

Alec moaned as the gurney was jostled when it rolled over the door tracks and out of the elevator. Logan already had the Penthouse doors open and was pulling back the comforter on the bed in his room. Although his eyes were still closed it was clear Alec was coming to. Tears leaked from his eyes and his chin and bottom lip trembled, the drugs in his system hampering his normal ability to hide pain. "I think Alec waking up." Josh called out. Alec's head turned toward the sound of the familiar voice and he fought to open his eyes when the gurney came to a halt. Trying to preserve as much of Alec's dignity as possible considering his state of dress in the hospital issue gown and various pieces of attached medical equipment Joshua lifted Alec. The smaller mans cry of pain hurting the dog man more than if he had been the one injured. "It's okay little fella, it's almost over." Joshua reassured his friend as Max pulled the gurney out of the way allowing Joshua to step forward and place Alec on the waiting bed. Joshua tried to step back but Alec refused to release his death grip on the front of his jacket. The tears were falling freely now from pain filled hazel eyes.

"Ah crap Josh it hurts man." The younger man panted out on shallow breaths.

"Alec, I've got something here to help with the pain but you need to let go of your friend so I can give it to you okay?" Dr. Carr prepared a syringe and moved toward the IV port in Alec's left arm.

Logan saw Alec begin to tense having never officially met Dr. Carr the younger man viewed him as a threat. Logan really couldn't blame Alec and was relieved to see understanding in Sam's eyes as well. They knew that any previous medical treatment Alec had received came from the hands of uncaring Manticore Doctors who viewed their wards as objects, never as human beings with feelings.

"Hey, relax Alec, Dr. Carr is a friend." Logan spoke softly before he slowly eased himself down to sit on the right side of the bed, being careful not to cause unnecessary movement of the mattress. Reaching out he brushed the tears from Alec's cheek and temple. Alec gradually released his hold on Josh as his attention focused on Logan. Giving the older man a relieved smile that showed, more than words ever could, just how much Alec valued his presence. Logan could see the inner conflict raging behind tired eyes. The pain the younger man had admitted to moments before, when held by one of his own kind, Alec now fought to hide.

" 'm fine, don't need any drugs." Alec spared a suspicious look at Dr. Carr before looking back at Logan. Even Alec could admit that it sounded more a whine than a statement of fact.

"Alec, you trust me right?" Logan waited until he got nod from Alec. "Well then trust me now and let Dr. Carr help you. You've been through a lot and you need to rest. You can't do that when you are hurting and I know that you are. Let Sam give you the medicine, I swear I will be right here when you wake up."  
Logan knew that Alec hated to feel vulnerable and that was the reason he was trying to hide his pain. He hoped that his promise, not to leave the younger man alone, would be enough to gain Alec's consent.

They had barely prevented a major setback when Alec started to come to in the recovery room at the hospital. He was in pain and didn't know why, that combined with the sterile white setting and unfamiliar faces caused Alec to believe he was back in a Manticor facility. In his weakened and drugged state Alec hadn't succeeded in harming anyone but himself. His struggles to get free from the bed and tubing caused freshly stitched wounds to reopen and bleed. Logan didn't think he would ever forget the wild fearful look in the younger man's eyes when he and Max had been called to the recovery room. It had been like looking into the eyes of a cornered animal.

After what seemed an eternity Alec extended his left arm in Dr. Carr's direction. The Doctor took that as his cue to step forward and inject the pain medicine into the IV port. The pain medicine was combined with a sedative and it was clear that Alec was quickly being pulled back into the blissful land of slumber. Logan rested a hand against Alec's cheek and felt as the younger man leaned into the touch, his blinking slowed until finally his eyes remained closed.

Once Dr. Carr was sure Alec was fully under he proceeded to show everyone there how to hook up a fresh saline bag and antibiotic. Dr. Carr then checked the drain on the chest tube to make sure the movement hadn't caused any significant increase in bleeding. Satisfied that everything was okay he moved on to check the Cath. Bag for signs of blood before securing it to the makeshift stand beside the bed.

"It looks like he tolerated the move better than I'd expected. The pain meds should allow him to sleep through the night. I'm going to leave a few prepared syringes to be on the safe side but you'll need to space them out at least 6 hours apart. Keep the IV's going until I tell you otherwise, hang a fresh antibiotic every 4 hours. I need you to monitor his temp and urine output. I know there is a little blood present but that should clear up soon, if you notice an increase I want you to call me right away. His base temp is 101.8 he is reading at 103.6 if it starts climbing I need to know.

"What about food?"

"If he's thirsty, small sips of water. Too much too soon could make him sick. Nothing solid for at least another 24 hours we can talk about it more then."

"I know that tone of voice, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's really wrong I guess. It's just that sometimes I forget how it is in some of the poorer sectors. Then seeing Alec today I'm reminded that there are still people struggling o keep themselves fed. "

"You let me know what he needs and I'll make sure he gets it."

Sam nodded, if he'd had any questions about the change in relationships between the three they had been completely answered by Alec's current location and Logan's statement.

Despite his reluctance to leave his perch on the bed Logan walked Sam to the door, Cindy and Max had already headed down to the garage. The three were going to make the run to the Senators home for appearances sake. Joshua was going to stay behind until Max could return, just in case Logan needed help.

"I'll stop by in the morning, but remember if you have any concerns just call me."

"I will, thanks again Sam."

"Don't mention it. It's nice knowing that Eyes Only owes me a favor. "

Logan began to protest but stopped when Sam nodded at the various computer equipment littering his workstation. "I've know for a while, you've trusted me with Max and Alec's secret I think you can trust me with yours as well."

The Penthouse was quite. Max and OC, who reappeared after dropping off the Ambulance, somehow wound up sleeping in the guest room. Joshua, being too tall to lie comfortably on the couch, was sleeping on a pallet in the master bedroom. Logan would have preferred it if Joshua would have stayed in the living room but he could understand Josh's need to be close to his injured friend. Logan lay on his side with his head propped on his hand and looked down at Alec, silently keeping watch for any sign of distress.

Logan tended to think of Alec as younger than Max, if not in age than in experience, although at times he suspect the former as well. Without the cocky attitude and bulky layers of clothing to hide him Logan was forced to admit just how young and frail Alec looked. Despite the amount of food Logan had been forcing on Alec since they started their relationship the younger man never seemed to gain an ounce. It was hard to deny it after Dr. Carr's comments. Logan assumed it was a genetic trait Manticore intentionally bred into Alec. Perhaps their intent was to lure targets into a false sense of security. Sam hadn't come out and said it but Logan knew that the lack of 'meat' on Alec's bones had greatly reduced the amount of protection to internal organs. He wondered if Manticore realized what a fatal flaw they had built into their creation.

Crap he was so scared. Terrified was more like it, not only might he lose Alec in the war against Manticore and the breeding cult, but Alec could just as easily be killed in a random accident. Sliding closer Logan pulled the blanket up tighter around the younger man's shoulders before he took Alec's right hand in his and placed his own head on Alec's pillow. "Just so you know, I don't intend to let you out of my sight for a long time. You might as well relax and not fight me on this because I'm 1pretty sure I've got backup if I need it." Logan whispered into Alec's ear. He took the slight twitch of the younger man's hand as agreement and allowed himself to it drift into a light slumber. After all, he knew he'd need all his strength to follow through with his earlier statement.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Under Surveillance  
By: Deanangst  
Fandom: Dark Angel  
Rated:  
Characters: Alec, Logan, Cindy, and Max  
Disclaimer: Don't own nothing. (POUT)  
Summary: Everyone is watching Alec.  
Sequel to Flawed Perfection

Logan stood at the front door and shifted nervously from foot to foot. His reluctance to leave was clear not only in his body language, but in his expression as well. "He had kind of a rough night last night but he drifted off about thirty minutes ago so he should sleep for a couple of hours. If he does wake up there is juice in the fridge try to get him to drink some. I shouldn't be gone more than an hour." Logan took a step out of the door then turned back. "Oh, I left my cell number by the phone in the kitchen. If you need me call, I can be home in 10 minutes. "

Cindy would have laughed but at 6:00 AM it was just too early, besides the last few days had been rough on everyone so she understood Logan's concern. The first twenty four hours after Alec had been moved to the penthouse hadn't gone as smoothly as everyone had hoped. Alec's fever had spiked in the early morning hours and Dr. Carr had been called back to the apartment. It had taken another day to pinpoint the problem without the needed medical equipment but ultimately it had been the very drug they were giving Alec to fight off infection that was pushing his immune system into over drive. No one had imagined that a transgenic would be susceptible to something as basic as an allergic reaction.

"Relax Logan I am a great baby sitter. Max is waiting for you downstairs and you know how the girl gets if you keep her waiting. So just go take care of business, you know you can trust that our boy is safe in my hands." Placing her palm on Logan's chest she pushed the taller man out into the hall and closed the door. She knew that Logan was on the verge of canceling the meeting with his informant in evidence lockup. Cindy didn't know all the details but he'd mentioned something about Lydecker when he called to ask for their help. Anything to do with the Col., Manticore, or the breeding cult couldn't be ignored, it has a tendency to come back and bite you on the butt if you did.

Cindy dead bolted the door and walked down the hallway to the Master bedroom. Approaching the bed as silently as she could manage she looked down on the sleeping man. There was just something about the boy that called out to her. Over the course of the last few days she had gotten a chance to see Alec at his most vulnerable. Too exhausted to bother trying to hide his emotions she had witnessed Alec's pain and his fear, but what had ripped her heart out was the pure wonder in his eyes when he would wake and realize he was not alone, that his family was there to look out for him.

Blaming maternal instincts OC couldn't resist the urge to straighten the blankets where Alec had pushed them away. "You just rest up now Boo 'cause Cindy's gonna wanna see those pretty green eyes when she comes back tonight."

The living room was littered with boxes of miscellaneous computer equipment. Logan knew he was a pack rat when it came to gadgets, despite buying the latest and greatest, he never threw anything that was still operational away. Today he could justify it all because the meeting that afternoon had resulted in him acquiring the contents of a briefcase found in the wreckage of Lydeckers SUV. The paper files were beyond repair but there were a few zip file discs that were operational but encrypted. Fearing a virus he was attempting to open and clean the programs on an old stand alone computer to limit infection and prevent the files from being traced through satellite connection. A sound from the master bedroom brought his attention away from the file he was trying to decode. When he glanced at the lower right hand corner of his computer screen he was surprised that he'd been working for almost two hours. Pushing away from his desk Logan stood and headed back to check on Alec.

The bedroom was empty but Logan could hear the water running in the shower and see Alec's outline through the frosted plexiglass walls. Alec was no longer on strict bed rest having been given the small freedom just the night before and while the younger man was still feeling the effects of his injuries he was trying hard to hide it in order to keep that freedom from being taken away. While Logan knew that this small physical activity of taking a shower would leave Alec exhausted for the rest of the afternoon he also knew confronting the man about the need to go slow would only piss him off, admitting he needed assistance was something the younger man was having a hard time dealing with.

It was as if Alec thought pretending he was getting better would keep them from noticing just how weak he actually was, something Max referred to as his standard 'I'm always alright.' routine. Alec was a good actor but sever dehydrated and weight loss were too hard to hide and just as serious as the fractured ribs and organ injuries, if not more so. Dr. Carr explained that weight loss itself was due to Alec's body's need to burn more calories while it fought off the offending medication and tried to repair the damage the wreck had caused. It worried Logan, he had already been concerned with Alec's weight, what would it take just to get the younger man back to where he started at.

Logan was so lost in his thoughts as he straightened the rumpled sheets and blankets on the bed that he didn't hear the water cut off and Alec shuffle out of the bathroom. So when Alec spoke he was slightly startled.

"I think I need to report a peeping Tom."

"What?" Logan turned back toward the bathroom and watched as Alec fought to button the pajama top he was wearing only to have the sleeves cuffs slide over his hands and get in the way. The pajamas were Logan's and currently the only thing Alec could comfortably dress in. His broken ribs preventing him from lifting his arms for pullovers, so wearing the warm soft sweatshirts that he normally stole from Logan was out of the question.

"Yeah it seems every time I go to the bathroom I get the feeling I'm being watched, and sure enough when I get through there is a strange man lurking outside the door." Growling in frustration Alec pushed up his sleeves, tugged up his sagging pants, and went back to trying to fasten the buttons on the top.

"Hum, I think you must still be feeling the effects of the drugs, there are no strange men in this apartment. Now if you'd said a dashingly handsome man, maybe I'd have been inclined to believe you." Stepping forward Logan batted Alec's hands out of the way and finished up the buttons.

Shoulders sagging in defeat Alec asked, "Max bringing my stuff by tonight?" as he allowed Logan's help.

"That's the plan. She and Cindy are going to stop by your place after work. Max didn't want to leave it any longer knowing that looters would start moving in soon."

"It was a good location, lots of ways in and out. Maybe I can get it back, you know there really isn't any reason I can't go back to my own place."

Logan's scowl said it all as he guided Alec back to the bed. "It will be a while before you are able to be on your own so don't let losing the apartment worry you. " Wanting to change the subject Logan lifted the hem of Alec shirt and could see the dark shadow of blood staining the waterproof bandage. "Lean back, I need to change your dressings."

Alec pulled his legs up onto the bed and leaned back against the pillows that were propped against the headboard. Logan returned from the bathroom with the supplies he needed and sat next to Alec on the bed.

"I can do this myself you know." Alec grumbled but made no effort to take the supplies from Logan something the older man noticed.

"Quit complaining and pull your top up." With the added light of the bedside lamp Logan took his time and really examined the wounds as he removed the soiled bandages and cleaned the areas. Despite how gently Logan worked he could hear the hitch in Alec's breath and see the flinch of stomach muscles. "It looks like your body is tying to start the healing process. I can see signs of skin growth around the edges. I bet in a week or so there won't even be any scaring. Sam said the ribs would take longer, your body is choosing which wounds to heal first. Right now its resources are limited. Once you start eating normally and you body's chemistry rights itself we should see an increase in healing." Sealing the tape down on the bandage Logan smoothed the shirt down. "Speaking of eating, what do you want for lunch?"

"I'm not really that hungry right now." Alec answered, the physical activity having left him weak and slightly nauseous.

"I wasn't really giving you an option. You can tell me what you want or you can drink one of the shakes Dr. Carr sent. "

"That's just cruel." Alec made a face as he remembered the foul taste of the high protein shakes he'd been forced to drink before being allowed solid food. "Peanut butter and Jelly sounds good."

"Yeah I thought it might, one PB&J coming right up. You want apple or strawberry jelly?"

"You have both?" Alec asked, rising from the bed and following Logan, although slowly, through the zone of destruction that was once a living room and into the kitchen.

Logan winced remembering Sam's words days ago about food supplies in the poorer sectors. "Yeah I've got both. So which will it be, on second I'll make one of each and we can split them, you can choose the one you liked best for next time."

Alec waited until the older man's back was turned, to retrieve items from the fridge, before he allowed himself to give into fatigue and take a shaky seat at the island table.

Logan for his part took his time getting the milk and jelly wanting to allow Alec time to compose him self. He was prepared to ignore Alec's stubbornness as long as the younger man knew when to give in to his body's demands.

"What's up with the boxes?"

"I was able to get the discs I was telling you about last week and not knowing if they are legit or not I thought it wise to take a few precautions, so I pulled out some old equipment just in case."

Placing the plate with the carefully crafted sandwich, minus crusts and cut into triangles, in front of  
Alec Logan picked up his own sandwich and took a bite. "MMM peanut butter I forget sometimes just how good this stuff is."

Alec was about to offer to help with the discs then the computer beeped drawing Logan attention away from him.

"File must be done, you go ahead and eat I'll be back in a minute." Logan said distractedly and left Alec alone in the kitchen.

Alec picked up a half of the sandwich and took a bite. Under normal circumstances it would have tasted good, but his stomach refused to settle, he managed a few bites before giving up and focusing glass of milk in front of him. The threat of the shake still fresh on his mind, leaving the empty glass on the bar next to his half eaten sandwich he hoped it was enough to appease Logan. Twisting wrong when he stood Alec grabbed his side, the grating of bone on bone making him gasp in pain as he aggravated his healing ribs. He really wanted to go lay down but that's all he had been doing lately and the longer he gave in the longer it would take to build up his strength and get out of Logan's hair.

So far the Logan had been cool with his constant presence but Alec wasn't sure how long it would be before Logan realized that he was more trouble than he was worth. Even though he was trying his best to do what Logan wanted Alec knew he would screw this up and Logan would tell him to get out. Following the sound of clicking into the living room Logan didn't acknowledged Alec's presence which meant he was in deep concentration. What ever Logan thought he would uncover on the discs must have been extremely important. By the looks of it Logan was using the TV as a second monitor so without the promise of the boob tube to distract him Alec let his normal curiosity guide him as he peeked in the various boxes sitting on the couch and coffee table.

Seeing movement out of the corner of is eye Logan turned back to look over his shoulder. Alec was holding a black device in one hand and a square holder with a tiny cd in side in the other. When he caught Logan watching him he held up the device. "What's this?"

"That is an old psp system."

"Ahhh." Alec looked at the devise again. "What exactly does a psp system do?"

"You use it to play those little cds." Logan said before turning back to his beeping computer.  
The room was quiet for a few minutes then Alec spoke again. "Hey Logan? This says Star Wars…isn't that the thing with Kirk and the pointy eared guy?"

"Bit your tongue, that's Trek." Knowing that the decryption program he had just started would take a few hours to process Logan moved away from the desk and retrieved the box with the various games and accessories from the coffee table. "This is Star Wars, the best space epic ever." Turning Logan made his way back to the bedroom knowing that the couch was just to low for Alec to sit comfortably on. "I use to love this thing back when I was in high school. Plugging the adapter into the outlet behind the headboard Logan was pleased to see the lights come and the game try to recharge.

"I don't know if the battery will hold a charge but if we keep it plugged in it should play just fine." Placing the cartridge into the slot Logan turned on the system. Alec slid in closer to Logan so he could see the screen clearly and Logan spent the next hour teaching Alec the finer points of playing video games. The games proving challenging for Alec because he had to slow his reflexes, by the time he started the second world he didn't even notice Logan's departure. Logan spent the rest of the afternoon working on his computer alternation between being serenaded by the cartoon music and Alec's running dialogue as he bested various creatures.

"You want a piece of me? Oh buddy you're just too slow…oh that had to hurt."

***

The girls had made it back to Logan's shortly after 7:00pm. Logan had been shocked by the tiny amount of belongings Max and Cindy had retrieved from Alec's apartment. Even more shocking was the fact that it was truly all the man owned. There was one garbage bag of clothing, a flat screen TV, and a book that was actually on loan to him from Joshua. The clothes were in the washer in an attempt to rid them of the smell of cigarette smoke, the book, a Grisham Logan had never read, was waiting on the nightstand for the next sleepless night, and Logan was currently trying to hook up an old DVD player to the TV so he could prove to Alec and Max just how great Star Wars actually was. He swore the next time either of the two got their universes crossed he was gonna wash mouths out with soap.

The room smelled of Chinese food, the dresser having been converted to a makeshift buffet. Alec, Cindy, and Max were piled on the bed, plates in hand, waiting for Logan to start the movie. The two transgenics having had a blast earlier in the evening pushing Logan's buttons once they learned how seriously the man took his sci-fi. When Logan started the movie and retrieved his own dinner Alec slid closer to Cindy making room for Logan beside him. Some time during the second movie they had shifted positions again. Alec was now settled between the V of Logan's legs, slouched down until his head was below Logan's chin, using the older man as a human body pillow.

Logan had his arms gently wrapped around Alec, just enjoying the closeness and the fact that Alec was allowing it even though Max and Cindy were present. He was taking every moment of closeness he could find knowing that once Alec got better the younger man would start pulling away, seeking the freedom that he had never known while being under Manticore's control. Logan didn't want to think about how empty his apartment would be once Alec moved out. Convincing him to stay was high on Logan's list of priorities, for now his only consolation was that until he was convinced the younger man was back to 100 percent Logan was keeping Alec under house arrest.

The sound of blaster fire filled the room covering the sound of Logan's beeping computer as the final decryption program ended. The monitor's screen was filled with flashing symbols and multiple windows. Folder after folder began appearing in one of the windows each labeled as a different species or X-series. Within the folders another set of files waited, each identified with a different 15 digit numeric code.

***

From the darkened window of the building across the street a man lowered a pair of binoculars. The files were safely in the hands of the one man who would know what to do with the information they contained. For now he would bide his time, he'd make contact with Cale once he knew the man was desperate enough to accept his help. Surely the need to cure the virus keeping himself and Max apart would aide in the breakdown. Placing the binoculars back on the table Lydecker picked up the container of pork Lo Mein, he was prepared to wait and watch.


	3. Chapter 3

Fic: Letting Go and Holding On  
By Deanangst  
Fandon: Dark Angel  
Sequel to : Flawed Perfection and Under Surveillance  
Disclaimer; I own nothing just showing my love for the show.

Alec woke up slowly. He knew instinctively that there was no danger but something was off. Sliding to his left he searched out the comforting warmth that would allow him to slip back into peaceful slumber only to be greeted with cold sheets. Logan was up and had been for some time. Opening his eyes he could tell that it was sill dark outside and therefore time for all good little soldiers to be in bed well that had been Logan's philosophy since the accident, and Alec figured what went for him should also go for one Cyber Journalist with a Robin Hood Complex.

Alec vaguely remembered Cindy and Max leaving, mostly he remembered being annoyed when Logan woke him while trying to untangle himself and walk the girls to the door. The more he thought about it the more he realized it was possible Logan had never returned to bed. He eased out of bed on Logan's side since he was closer to that side anyway. Reaching out Alec flipped on the bedside lamp to give him enough light to navigate the tangle of cords and equipment where Logan had hooked up the DVD player that evening. Yeah he could just use his enhanced night vision, but when he drug Logan back to bed the poor guy would need to see also. Rubbing his right eye with the back of his hand Alec shuffled through the mess and into the living room where he could see Logan that was hard at work at the computer

Logan looked up and smiled at the rumpled mess of transgenic that stood beside him. "Hey, what are you doing up?" Logan asked.

"You didn't come back." Alec accused, he voice rough from sleep.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I got a little distracted. You wouldn't believe what I found on these discs. It looks like Lydecker somehow got his hands on what appears to be a guide book to Manticore." Turning back to the screen Logan pointed to several windows. "I haven't gotten very far, there is a lot of information and I'm having a hard time understanding the order of the files, but it looks like there is a file for each of you."

"Are you sure you can trust what you find?" Alec faked interest knowing that this was the kind of mystery Logan lived for, but all he wanted was to go back to bed.

"I don't know. I won't be rushing into anything I promise you that. But if it is real do you understand what this means? There is a big possibility that the information Dr. Carr needs could very well be here…..somewhere." Logan turned back to Alec, the excitement sparkling in his blue eyes.

Alec felt his stomach lurch but fought to place a smile on his face. "That would be great!" He replied.

Logan beamed then turned his attention back to the screen.

Alec stood there for a few more minutes, when it was clear that Logan was deeply absorbed in his work and had seemingly forgotten Alec was present the younger man headed back to bed. Flipping the lamp off before lying down Alec knew that there would be no more sleep for him that night, his heart ached worse than it had when he lost Rachel and his mind ran in circles. Dr. Carr had been working on the virus that Manticore had given Max. If the threat of the virus no longer existed that would mean Logan would be free to love Max and wouldn't need him anymore. He prayed that he'd be able to bow out gracefully when the time came. All that really mattered was Logan's happiness.

*** Two Weeks Later***

A combination of the discs, fragments of internet information from the timeline in question, and Logan's numerous trips to the library, to wade through microfiche, had turned up some interesting information. Manticore had been around in some form since the 1970's. The earliest notable form was the Blackwell clinic in the 1980's which started out with noble intentions such as organ creation. They were trying to save lives by using DNA from the patient to create the needed organ instead waiting for a donor match. Over time the need for outside funding and public support grew. The CEO's were smart and realizing there was no shortage of couples willing to try anything to have a child geared a branch of their research to that area. Before long Blackwell had facilities in the more affluent cities around the country catering to the whims of the wealthy.

It started easily enough, a little toying with genetic coding and they could grantee the child was male, ensuring the family name would be carried on. This lead to more extensive requests from the clients and by the late 80's they were creating children in a fashion that Logan could only compare to choosing the options on a new car. You could have anything you wanted ranging from the color of hair and eyes to the child's ultimate weight and height. Before the Blackwell Clinics closed they had begun weeding out the genetic coding for various diseases. Logan was still searching but so far he couldn't come up with a valid reason for the corporation's disappearance. The more dead ends he hit the more he assumed there been a scandal.

The information saved on the discs detailed mainly events after the government had stepped in. The timeline fit, by '85 Sandaman would have started working out the kinks of mixing animal and human DNA. There were failed attempts noted before success was achieved and Joshua was born on July 7th 1987. Once the process had been duplicated, in Joshua's brother Issac, teams of scientists were brought in and Manticore was born.

By the mid 90's the X-1 series was in full swing, Human/Animal hybrids, successful but not able to be hidden in public because the animal DNA was dominated. Series X-2 through X-4 quickly followed. The first X-5 was created in '98. It was touted as the perfect blend of human and multi-animal DNA. The largest series by far the X-5 series was complete in 2004. 10 codes were created, each code then cloned until they had 10 living copies. In an effort to keep the children separated one of each coding, was housed at separate bases spread out across the US. It wasn't until Renfro took command of the Manticore project that the remaining X-5's were reunited at the Wyoming base. Logan suspected that the duplicate sets of children were also kept a secret from the trainers until that time, that was the only way Logan could explain Lydeckers lack of knowledge of what 'his' kids looked like as adults.

Slight changes were made to the cocktails between each birth to try to eliminate flaws as they were discovered. By the tenth cloning enough changes had been made to establish a new X series. Only the strongest DNA Codes elevated to the next level. So far Logan had been able to determine that Zach, Max, and Alec's DNA mix had made it to the X-6 series, they were scrapped in the X-7 line due to the 09's escape but resurrected in the X-8 and X-9 series. It was strange thinking that there were little copies of Max and Alec running loose out there, as far as he knew none had made it to TC.

So far the most useful information according to Max was the discovery that she was born March 14th 2001, and Alec, much to the younger mans horror, was born December 15th 2001. Max was having a field day with the fact that Alec was the baby of their strange little family. Dr. Carr had begun to create dummy medical records on both Max and Alec. Alec had lent his hand to forging documents, and Max had spent a few nights planting files in the appropriate places.

Taking his glasses off, and laying them on the legal pad of notes he had been working on, Logan rubbed his tired eyes before leaning back in his chair and stretching. The sound of his back popping echoed in the quiet apartment. To tell the truth he was a little lonely, it was amazing how quickly he had gotten use to Alec's presence during the day.

Alec had made it nearly three weeks before boredom had threatened to drive the younger man insane. It was clear that although he wasn't healed enough to go back to his regular job of bike messenger something had to give. A deal had been made for Alec to take a desk job at Jam Pony logging incoming packages three times a week. Normal was so happy to have his golden boy back at work he was willing to go along with Dr. Carr's restrictions.

Logan on the other hand, was having a hard time dealing with the situation. There had been an argument and what had been described by Cindy as a temper tantrum on Logan's part but in the end Alec was an adult and Logan's protests couldn't stop him if going back to work if it was something the younger man really wanted to do. They came to a compromise, Logan would shuttle Alec back and forth as long as Alec promised not to leave the Jam Pony building while there. Logan knew that Alec wouldn't intentionally put him self in danger but trouble always seemed to find him. If there was an altercation between one of the breeding cult or even an ordinary human Alec wouldn't be able to completely defend his self so he had enlisted Max and Cindy's help in keeping an eye on the younger man.

Logan had to admit that it didn't help matters knowing that Alec was anxious to get back to work so he could save up money for a new apartment. Every time he tried to bring up the subject of living together Alec grew agitated so he had dropped the subject for the time being. When the time came he hoped he would be able to convince Alec to stay.

***  
Logan parked in front of the main entrance to Jam Pony, it was after seven and the riders had already finished for the day. As he entered the building he could hear the unmistakable voices of Max and Cindy as they took turns scolding someone. Logan could only assume that someone was Alec.

"What were you thinking….no wait you weren't thinking, that's the only explanation that fits." Max hissed.

"Max I was just…" Alec began speaking only to be cut off by Cindy.

"Just what Boo, trying to become a human pretzel?"

From Logan's location he couldn't see her but he could imaging OC standing with her arms crossed in front of her, hip hitched to one side, and the don't even try to lie to me because I know you too well expression on her face.

"They were going to fall I was just trying to catch them. No one was around to see me." Alec pled his case.

"I saw you, Cindy saw you …. and you know what? You're lucky we did. How stupid are you Alec? The next time packages start falling let them. I swear if I catch you trying to move that fast again before Dr. Carr gives you the all clear I'll kick your ass." Max's voice grew louder and both Alec and Logan knew she meant what she said.

"I'm fine Max, no harm no foul." Alec tried for his trademark smirk but no one was buying it.

"Right sugar, that's why you turned white as a ghost and started sweatin' bullets."

"Okay so the ribs twinged a little, I promise I won't do it again. Just, can we please keep this between us? Logan will..." The words were drowned out by another voice.

"Logan will cart your butt to see Dr. Carr so fast you will think he's the one with genetic enhancements." Logan's voice caused the three people to jump, no one having heard him approach. "Grab your coat, I'll call Sam. Thanks ladies, I'll take it from here. Tell Joshua I'm sorry about tonight but if Sam says it is okay we will stop by for a visit tomorrow afternoon. "

"Fine." Alec slowly stood, grabbed his coat, and stormed, as well as he could given the fact that his ribs were still hurting, past his friends and headed out to the SUV.

Max's features softened. "Go easy on him, Manticore didn't exactly go in for the whole if it hurts stop thing."

"You weren't exactly going easy on him Max." Logan stated.

Max Shrugged. "Yeah well someone has to be the heavy."

Cindy and Max walked in silence each carrying a bag of groceries as they made their way to Joshua's.  
"Max, you've been awfully quite since we left work. What's on your mind girl?"

Max shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know Cindy, it's just that some times I… you know what never mind it's nothing." Max just couldn't bring her self to voice what she was feeling.

"It's just that sometimes you get a little jealous seeing the two of them together." Cindy said as she shifted her bag higher in her arms.  
"Is it that obvious?"

"No Boo, but I know you. It's only natural to feel a little jealous when you see your ex with someone new. You see them together almost every day that would be hard on anyone." Cindy assured her.

"We never really had a chance you know. There was always something in the way. At first it was me, I just couldn't risk letting myself be hurt if he was only using me as a weapon. That's kind of how it felt back then. Logan would call me when he had a job he needed me to do. In exchange he would feed me what little info he could gather on my bothers and sisters. By the time I realized I really trusted him and that maybe we could have a future together Lydecker was there and we were planning to go after Manticore." Max stopped and turned toward her friend. "Logan waited for me even when he thought I was dead. Now I'm back and it's the Virus standing in the way. Why couldn't he wait for me now? "

"Max I don't know why there have been so many obstacles standing between you and Logan, but you do understand that there is more between the two of you now than just the virus. Logan really loves Alec and even if a cure for the virus is found they are together now." Cindy wanted to show her support and understanding of Max's feelings but just like Max told Logan earlier someone had to play the heavy and in this case Cindy needed to be sure that Max didn't set her self up for another fall.

"Yeah, I know that in my head, but my heart hasn't gotten the message yet. Come on let's get this stuff to Joshua's before he comes looking for us. It's going to be bad enough telling him that Alec's not coming tonight I don't want to have the whole laying low talk again on top of it." Max picked up her pace but her thoughts were still on Logan. All she really wanted was him to be happy, but it did hurt that Alec was the source of his happiness.

***

"I can't believe you are actually dragging me to see Dr. Carr. I told you I'm okay, I just moved a little to fast." Alec grumbled as he followed Logan through the empty hallways of the building that housed Dr. Carr's private practice.

"Humor me, besides if you're a good boy I'll let you get a toy at the store afterwards." Logan opened the wooden door that bore Dr. Carr's name, stepping back he ushered the younger man inside. Alec gave Logan a dirty look as he passed. Once both men had were inside Logan locked the door and looked around. The lights were on in the waiting room but there was no one manning the reception desk. The door leading back to the exam rooms was open so they headed back keeping an eye out for Sam.

They followed the sound of a file cabinet drawer closing down the hall to Dr. Carr's office. Sam looked up in time to see the two men pause in his doorway. "Hey guys, you made better time than I thought. I was just getting Alec's file. Holding up the dog eared folder Sam pointed back out in the hall. "Well lets get started shall we? I want to do a set of x-rays on your ribs and an ultra sound just to make sure everything else is okay." Dr. Carr paused in front of the hall scale. "Okay let's get an accurate height and weight."

***

Logan flipped through a magazine while he waited in Sam's office. It had only been thirty minutes but to Logan it seemed like hours had passed. Sam walked in and tossed the folder on his desk before placing the x-rays on the screen and flipping on the light. "Alec's getting dressed, he'll be here in a minute. In the mean time I've been looking over the files you sent over. Manticore did so much splicing and dicing with those kids DNA that it is going to take time for me to get a lock on the coding and pinpoint exactly what we need to do to counteract their tampering."

"But you think you can?" Logan asked hope and fear warring in his voice.

"It's still going to take time but yes. Until then just keep doing what you are doing, protect yourselves, and don't take any unnecessary risks."

Alec stood outside the door and listened to the conversation going on inside. DNA coding, protection, and unnecessary risks it all added up to Max and the virus. Alec closed his eyes and tried to get a handle on the emotions and thoughts spinning through his head. 'Suck it up 494, you knew that Logan was still in love with Max when this whole thing started. What did you expect him to do when those files were dropped in his lap, lock them away in a vault somewhere, destroy them? No you knew that he would do his best to find a cure for the virus so he could go back to her. Just suck it up and be thankful for the time you had and appreciate what time you have left.' Taking a deep breath Alec squared his shoulders and knocked before opening the door and entering the room. He returned Logan's brief smile and took the seat next to the older man, his stomach rolled and all he wanted to do was get away and forget he'd ever heard the conversation.  
Sam retrieved the file and moved back to the x-rays. "Well everything looks good on the ultra sound. "

"See I told you I was Okay. Can we go now? There is still time to stop by Joshua's."

Sam cleared his throat to regain the other man's attention. "The ultra sound was clear but the x-rays turned up a separation of bone at one of the break sites." Pointing to a dark line on the x-ray Sam showed were the bone has separated. "You were lucky but you've got to be careful. I'm not going to make you quit work this time, but if it happens again I will." Taking a seat back at his desk Sam flipped back through the file before him. "I'm concerned with the time it's taking you to heal. Once your body chemistry righted its self the soft tissue damage you suffered healed quickly but I'm not seeing that with the bone damage. I really didn't have much to go on when the accident happened. I've only treated Max and yourself but now that I have your files from Manticore I'm going to compare the new blood tests to those that are in the files. Until then I'm going to put you on calcium supplements lets see if we can get you back on track. I want to see you back here Monday morning before you go to work other than that you are free to go. Tell Joshua I said hi Okay."

"I will, thanks Doc. Alec stood and reached back to retrieve his jacket only to remember he left in the exam room. I forgot my coat I'll only be a minute." Alec mumbled to Logan before leaving the room.

"Alec seems a bit quiet tonight."

"He's a little pissed at me for bringing him here but he'll get over it by the time we reach Joshua's." Logan said as he put on his own coat.  
"You know you really need to tell him what's going on. He deserves to know the truth."

"I can't tell him. He's got enough to deal with right now. You saw how hard it was for him to accept help after the accident. How do I tell him that the scientist that mixed his specific DNA screwed up and his body is fighting against itself? No, you find out what Manticore was using to keep him going, once we have the cure I'll tell him but not before."

Sam nodded. "Fine, I want to go on record as saying I think it's not a good idea keeping him in the dark. I'll go along with if for now but you need to tell him Logan. As for the other little project, I haven't started looking for a cure to the virus targeted against you and Max."  
"Right now that's a non issue. You concentrate on Alec, the rest can come later."

***

"Is it just me or is Joshua's Mac and Cheese getting better?" Logan called out from the bathroom as he brushed his teeth.  
"I think it's because more of the powdered cheese is making it into the sauce than into him." Alec replied absently as he tried to get comfortable. Not only were his ribs bothering him but his muscles in his back and neck were aching. Shrugging it off as a combination of stress and the 'pretzel' incident earlier he concentrated on relaxing as much as possible. He'd taken one of the pain relievers that Dr. Carr had prescribed after the accident, while Logan was checking his E-mail, and knew that he'd be asleep within thirty minutes. He could already feel their effects as he gave in to the urge to yawn.

"You know you are suppose to pick one side to sleep on." Logan mock grumbled at Alec, who was sprawled out in the center of the bed, as he settled in beside him. Only to urging Alec closer until the younger mans head was resting on his shoulder.

Alec snorted. "I'll remember that seeing as personal space is such an issue with you." Alec turned on to his left side with his right arm across Logan's chest using him as a human body pillow. The close contact seemed to help with the ache in his ribs, and the ache in his chest.

"See that you do." Logan replied as he fumbled for the Grisham Book that was resting on the nightstand. It was funny haw they had fallen into a bedtime routine, strange yeah but it just felt good. For one in his life he had everything he wanted and he would fight to keep it. Flipping to the right page Logan began to read aloud.

Listening to the steady beat of Logan's heart and the soothing sound of his voice Alec allowed himself to drift off to sleep and pretend that he could have this closeness forever.


End file.
